Animal trap



July 12, 1955 A COSEY 2,712,707

ANIMAL TRAP Filed June 24, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheer l IN VEN T 0R.

July 12, 1955 A. cosEY 2,712,707

ANIMAL TRAP Filed June 24, 1955 Z Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. zwmf @y United States "atented July l2, i955 ANMAL TRAP y Alexander Cosey, Granville, N. Y. [application .lune 24, 1953, Serial No. 363,722 3 Claim (Cl. i3-8l) This invention relates to improvements in traps of the type known as killer traps.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a trap for trapping and killing such small as muskrats, mink and the like.

Prior art traps are constructed arranged so that when sprung by an animal, the foot or feet are caught and a majority of cases, the animal breaks loose leaving a foot or feet so that maimed animals are at large.

According to the novel fes-.tores of the invention, the construction is such that when the trap is sprung, means operate to strike and kill the animal instantly and other ineans operate to prevent the unwanted openinf/ of the trap.

The trap is ehicient easily set.

All of the above objects such structure and relative arrangements of, as will fully appear by a perusal of below and by various specific features hereinafter set forth.

To the above cited and other ends and with the foregoing and various other novel features and advantages and other objects of my invention as will become more readily apparent as the description proceeds, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more particularly pointed ont in the claims hereunto annexed and more fully described and .referred to in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional viev through the trap shown in Fig. 2 with the components in sprung position; and

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a trap embodying the novel features of the invention and shown with the components in set position.

Referring now to the drawings more in detai the invention will be fully described.

A support or frame is provided which includes an elonvated metal strip 2 having upwardly extending rear and forward ends 4 and 6.

A transverse strut 3 is dispose-:l adjacent the rear end of the strip 2 and has upwardly extendinU ears le at opposite ends thereof. A trigger bracket l2 overlies the strip 2 and the strut 3, and said members Z, and l2 are secured together in some suitable manner as by welding or the like to provide a strong rigid spporting structure.

A transverse ,iournal or shaft if: is carried in the ears itl of the strut and .may take the form of a bolt or the like.

A striker 16 formed from rod-like which are looped at 18 around the shaft ld and extend therefrom as forward and rear portions 2i? and Z2 connected by forward and rear members 24 and 26 respectively.

Springs 3ft around the shaft i4 have rear ends 32 in its operation and is readily and l accomplish by .i ans o of pat there the description which will be wire has side arms tending downwardly which are hooked beneath the supporting structure and forward ends 34 which are hooked around the side arms 2li of the striker. Said springs are adapted to forcefully swing the striker clockwise in striking direction from the set position when the trap is sprung.

The forward end of part l2 is formed to provide lugs such and a trigger comprising member 3S and trigger plate d@ has member 3S thereof disposed therebetween. Said member l is pivoted to the lugs at 42 and is provided with a notch 42 (see Fig. 1).

A retainer d6 in the form of an elongated strip has an eye on its rear end which is in swingable engagement with the part i of member 2 by means of a slot Si) in said part d.

Awith the striker in the set position of the trap as in the transverse member 24 of the striker is in upper and the transverse member 26 thereof is adjacent part d of the support. The retainer is swung over the transverse part 26 and its free end is engaged in the not-ch i2 of the trigger member. Thus the striker is releasably held in striking position until the trigger plate i9 is depressed. As the trigger plate is depressed, the retainer is released to free the transverse member 26 of the s :er and the springs instantly swing the striker str. mg direction.

A brace 55.1 has side arms 56 provided with eye-s around shaft ld and a transverse portion 53 which is secured to the strip 2 as by welding at 6i?.

The upper portion of the end part 6 of member 72 is formed to provide spaced ears such as shown at 65.. A catch 65 is pivoted between said ears and its outefv is provided with a weight 65'. The upper rear edge of the catch is provided with an inclined face 68 and the upper side thereof is provided with a notch '70.

A hold-down '74 is formed from spring wire material and has side arms 76 connected by a transverse portion 7S. Convolutions l of the member 7d are disposed on transverse portion 5S of the brace and opposite end portions of the hold-down are hooked around the side arms 55 of the brace as at 34.

In the set position of the trap, the transverse portion 7S of the hold-down is engaged in the notch 76 of the catch 66. The arrangement is such that when the catch is swung counterclockwise, the hold-down is released so by the spring action it swings counterclockwise.

ln use the trap is set for springing as shown in Fig. 2 where the animals to be trapped are likely to run.

An animal passing over the trap strikes the trigger plate so as to swing it clockwise. The retainer is released from the trigger plate and the springs acting on the striker swing it clockwise so that the transverse portion and side arms strike the animal with killing force.

ln swinging clockwise, the transverse member 2d of the striker hits the face 68 of the catch to swing it connterclockwise. This releases the transverse part 7e of the hold-down so that by the spring action it quickly swings counterclockwise.

ln the sprung position of the trap, the striker overlies the animal and the side arms 75 of the hold-down overlie the transverse part 2d of the striker thereby to prevent the striker being raised by the animal therebeneath..

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. Hence, the present embodimentis to be considered in all respects merely as being illustrative and not as being restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all modications and variations as fall within the meaning and purview and range of equivalency of the appended claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A killer trap comprising in combination, a support, a striker, pivotal connections between one end of said support and said striker for swinging of the latter towards the other end of the support in a striking direction, a retainer, pivotal connections between said support and retainer for swinging of the latter between a set position in retaining engagement with the striker in its set position and in a striker releasing position, a trigger and pivotal connections between said support and trigger for swinging of the latter between set and sprung positions, engageable means carried by said trigger and retainer for releasably holding the retainer in set position of the trigger, means to propel said striker from set to striking position, a hold-down and pivotal con-y nections between said support and hold-down for swinging of the latter from set position towards said one end of the support and adapted to overlie said striker in sprung position thereof, a catch pivoted to said other end of the support having means to releasably receive the hold-down in set position thereof, and means propeliing said hold-down from set position to a position overlying said striker, said catch having an inclined position disposed to be engaged and svmng to releasing position by said striker in swinging thereof from set position whereby said hold-down is released.

2. A trap set forth in claim 1 wherein an elongated member is secured to said support, and said hold-down has spaced side arrns provided with turns thereof swingiable on said elongated member. Y

3. .A killer trap comprising in combination, an elongated support having rear and forward ends, a striker and pivotal connections between said striker and rear portion of said support for swinging of said striker from set position forwardly towards the forward end of said support to striking position, said striker having a rear portion arranged to extend rearwardly of said pivotal connections in set position of said striker, an elongated retainer and pivotal connections between a rear end of said retainer and rear end of said support for swinging of the retainer from retaining to releasing position, said retainer having a free end and arranged in retaining position thereof to extend forwardly and over said rear portion of the striker in set position thereof, a trigger and pivotal connections betweenv said trigger and support disposed forwardly of the first-narned pivotal connections for swinging of the trigger from set position to retainer releasing position, said trigger having a notch to releasably engage the free end of said retainer in set position thereof, a hold-down and pivotal connections between said hold-down and forward end of said support for swinging of said hold-down rearwardly from se' paaien to sprung position and arranged to overlie said striker in its sprung position, a catch and pivotal connec s between said catch and forward end of said su rt for swinging of said catchfrom set to releasing position, said catch provided with means to engage and releasably bold said hold-down in set position thereof, said catch provided with an inclined face for engagement by said striker in swinging thereof from set position whereby said catch is swung to release said holddown, means biasing said striker from set to swung positions, and means biasing said hold-down to sprung position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 

